Taunton man pleads guilty to vehicular homicide

A Taunton man who crashed his Honda Accord into a tree in 2012 — killing two 18-year-olds and seriously injuring three other passengers — pleaded guilty Thursday in Fall River Superior Court to two counts of vehicular homicide by negligent operation.

FALL RIVER — A Taunton man who crashed his Honda Accord into a tree in 2012 — killing two 18-year-olds and seriously injuring three other passengers — pleaded guilty Thursday in Fall River Superior Court to two counts of vehicular homicide by negligent operation.

Nicholas Costa was sentenced to two concurrent sentences of two and a half years in a house of correction, the maximum punishment for the misdemeanor charge.

If prosecutors had gone to trial and successfully convicted him of felony vehicular homicide, which stipulates that the driver was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, Costa could have been sentenced to up to 15 years in prison per count.

Initially, he also was charged with having an open container of alcohol and driving on a suspended license.

Costa will serve the entire sentence and will be on probation for three years after his release, according to Bristol County District Attorney’s Office spokesman Greg Miliote.

Assistant District Attorney Robert Kidd handled the case from the outset. Costa was represented since his arraignment in April 2013 by Taunton attorney James Fagan.

Costa, who suffered serious leg injuries and underwent a lengthy period of physical rehabilitation, lost control of his car and hit a tree in front of 1861 Bay St. at 12:30 a.m. on Dec. 9, 2012.

Both Jason Neto, who was in the back seat, and Eden Ashley Sargent-Macedo, who police said was sitting in front passenger seat, were pronounced dead after being transported to Morton Hospital.

A total of four people were in the back seat.

The most seriously injured of the survivors, police said, was 18-year-old Ashley Rivera, who was sitting on Neto’s lap, police said.

Also injured were Chelsea Crancha, 19, and Jose Rodriguez, 21. No one in the car was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash, police said.

Police said they found an open bottle of vodka in the car.

Police sources at the time also said they suspected Costa might have been under the influence of synthetic marijuana, an illegal drug that can cause hallucinations.

Despite a grand jury inquiry, the commonwealth decided not to pursue felony charges, the sources said.